What Should Not Have Been
by fina5
Summary: Sakura would soon learn the consequences of abandoning Konoha in pursuit of a single goal, especially when it was not her own. AU in which Sasuke takes Sakura with him when he leaves the village for the first time. Rating may change to M.
1. The Village Gates

**Here's my first chapter! It's pretty short, but the next one is coming soon!**

 **Please enjoy and read & review!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto._**

* * *

 **The Village Gates**

Sasuke stops when he notices her standing next to a stone bench on the road. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"Everyone who leaves the village will pass through this road," Sakura responds, trying to keep her voice from wobbling. She knows this is her only chance to stop him from leaving.

Sasuke considers her for a moment before muttering, "You should go back to bed." He passes her and continues on his way to the village gates, certain that the willowy girl cannot alter his conviction.

He stops again when Sakura starts to cry softly. "I've always made you angry. When we first became genin," she mumbles, plainly regretful. "The day the three of us became a team; the first time I spoke to you alone, I made you mad."

"I don't remember that," he replies quietly.

Despite herself, she laughs, albeit humorlessly. "I thought so. It was so long ago, but ever since that day, you and I—and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei—have completed many missions. It's been tiring and difficult, but more than anything, it made me happy." There is a beat of silence as she wonders if she should finish vocalizing her train of thought. Inwardly, she shrugs, figuring she might as well. "I know what happened to your family, but a thing like revenge can never bring anyone happiness. It can never bring you happiness. But I—"

Bitter at the audacity with which she speaks of things of which she knows naught, Sasuke interrupts, "Like I thought . . ." Sakura looks up at him as he trails off, curious. He continues, "I am not like the rest of you. There are different paths we must walk. When the four of us were completing missions together, I'd thought that was my path." He pauses for a brief moment at her pensive expression. "But after everything, my heart tells me I am an avenger—this is why I am alive. I will never be like you or Naruto."

Fresh tears run down Sakura's face. "Sasuke-kun, do you plan on being alone again? You were the one who told me about the pain and loneliness. Right now, I feel that pain, too. Even though I have family and friends, I will still be lonely without you in my life."

"These are just the new steps we must take on our individual paths," he assures her—and himself.

Desperate, she shouts, "I—I love you! I love you so much I can't stand it! If you and I were together, I swear I wouldn't let you regret it! We'd be happy every day," she promises him. "We'd definitely find happiness together! I'm willing to do anything for you! So please stay! I'm begging you!" When he remains silent, she elaborates further. "I'd _kill_ for you! Anything you want me to do—I'll do it for you." Beginning to weep, she pleads, "Please stay here together with me."

Still, he does not respond.

A cold breeze brushes past them, causing Sakura to shiver. Nearly despondent, she plays her last card, "If that's not possible, then take me with you," and promptly breaks down into inconsolable sobs at the thought of this gambit failing.

Finally, he moves, craning his neck back to say, "You really are . . . very annoying."

Sakura's entire body seizes, a disheartened chill settling over her. He really is going to leave Konoha.

And her.

Before another tear can escape her, she suddenly feels his presence behind her. She feels almost certain that he's about to knock her out, leaving her incapacitated and unable to pursue him.

"But I suppose," he whispers, just loud enough for her to hear. "You could prove useful."


	2. A Good Idea

**Here's chapter two!**

 **Please read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Good Idea**

"You know, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru intones. "When I offered to let you come here and apprentice under me, I don't recall saying you could bring a . . . companion."

Sasuke and Sakura arrived an hour ago at Orochimaru's dingy underground lair. The air is musty and strangely hot, though the patterned stone walls are cool to the touch.

Sasuke glares up at the sannin, not one to be intimidated. "I don't recall an offer so much as I recall being bitten in the neck by a snake," he remarks, sneering.

Orochimaru's eyes take on an amused glint, and he relents as it's clearly pointless to deliberate on this any further with the angry young boy. "Fine, but don't expect to spend all your time with her. I don't want the girl hanging around and distracting you. She'll need to pull her own weight, so if he finds it acceptable, Kabuto will train her."

From behind his master, the bespectacled man agrees with a slight nod of the head. "Of course, Orochimaru-sama."

For the hundredth time, Sasuke wonders if it was such a good idea to bring Sakura along. After all, she _has_ distracted him in the past and she _is_ awfully annoying. Besides, he may only be thirteen, but he understands the ramifications that spending too much time with a member of the opposite sex may have.

Not that he'd let anything—much less a _girl_ —get in the way of his goal.

"Anyhow," Orochimaru continues, "I'll let you settle in for the night as I understand you had some . . . _difficulty_ getting here. Training will start tomorrow at dawn." With that, the older rogue nin turns away, signaling the end of the conversation.

Sasuke makes his way out of Orochimaru's office, finding Sakura waiting in the hall where he'd left her. Kabuto follows him out of the room and leads them to their quarters. The two young ninjas follow Kabuto down dark, winding passageways that become increasingly confusing as they go. They stop upon reaching adjacent rooms. He opens up the first one and ushers Sakura inside.

As Kabuto closes the door behind her, she casts one last look at Sasuke. Her eyes are wide with quiet fear, but her brow is furrowed in determination. It's an expression he's grown accustomed to seeing on her, and he finds that it mitigates some of the pressure that'd been growing in his chest since they arrived at the hideout. He continues staring at the door after it's shut, tearing himself away only when Kabuto draws his attention by opening the door to his room.

As he lays in bed later that night, unable to sleep, he draws what comfort he can from the quiet, steady chakra signature of the sleeping girl on the other side of the wall.

* * *

Training with Orochimaru is ceaseless, grueling work, but that's expected. It's what Sasuke signed on for—what he wanted—after all. He knows getting strong enough to take down his brother won't be without its share of blood, sweat, and tears. No pain, no gain, as they say.

He only wishes it wasn't so utterly disturbing at times. He's never been fond of senseless killing—something his new master attributes to his upbringing in Konoha. Unluckily for him, Orochimaru partakes in it all the time. Whether on a mission or in his lab, the old sannin has no qualms about taking a life. Thus far, Sasuke has managed to avoid such carnage, but he suspects it's only a matter of time.

There was one horrifying instance in particular that took place a few months after they'd arrived. Kabuto had been training Sakura in medical ninjutsu for some time, and she'd been making good progress. In order to evaluate her skills, Orochimaru had gutted of one of his many test subjects and ordered her to heal the man before he died. She was so nervous that she'd failed, so he'd moved onto another poor soul and made her try it again. And again, and again, and again. When she'd finally got it right, he just slit the throat of the woman she'd healed. The blood had splattered all over her face and clothes as she was made to stand there and watch. Orochimaru claimed that other medical nins were too soft and always attempt to save everyone, even their enemies. He said she'd need to be able to stand by and let people die if he so wished.

For the millionth time, Sasuke wonders if it was such a good idea to bring Sakura along.

He goes to see Sakura a few days after the incident in the lab. He's noticed that her hair has lost its luster and the skin around her eyes is darkening, and suspects that she's stopped taking care of herself. He enters her room an hour past midnight to find her sitting in her sleep clothes in the corner. She doesn't turn to greet him. He's not sure if she's ignoring him or simply so out of it that she didn't even notice his entrance.

"Sakura," he utters harshly, coming up behind her. Her head snaps up to look at him, eyes wide as though she's been caught doing something she shouldn't be. He glances down at what she has in front of her to find a blank piece of parchment and a capped pen. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she sighs. Almost belatedly, she rolls up the sheet of paper and stows her items away. "Is there something you want, Sasuke-kun," she asks, standing.

"Yes." He came to inquire about her wellbeing, after all. Yet, rather than asking if she's alright, he blurts out, "You look terrible."

Her eyes widen even more, if possible. "Oh," she mumbles, reaching up to straighten out her hair. She almost looks startled, which is understandable, Sasuke supposes. She certainly hadn't been anticipating his company, so why would she expect to be suddenly insulted?

"You . . . look unwell," he elaborates.

"Oh," she repeats, voice trembling and eyes cast to the floor. "I might be having trouble acclimating to this place. Orochimaru-sama is just so . . . _creepy,_ and Kabuto-san is really mean sometimes. Everything's super stressful and I—"

Abruptly, her eyes jump up to meet his. "Not that I don't know how important it is that we're here, Sasuke-kun," she rambles. "Our skills have definitely improved, you especially, and—"

Using his most soothing tone, he stops her. "Sakura, it's alright. This place is hard to get used to."

Visibly relieved, she nods and wipes at her watery eyes.

Sasuke knows she's under a lot of pressure, particularly because her presence here was unexpected and arguably unwanted. He also can't help but feel as though she's putting more strain on herself to not be a bother to him. He'd never realized how little of an effort he made to spend time with her until she'd stopped talking to him. This is the first time they've spoken in over three months. "You should go to sleep," he urges, nodding towards her bed. She accedes, padding across the room and slipping under the covers.

Satisfied, he turns to leave, but the sound of her voice stops him. "Sasuke-kun?" He doesn't respond, but once she realizes she has his attention, she continues. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

She sounds utterly hesitant, as though she's dreading certain rejection. He tells himself it's for that reason alone that he agrees, coming to sit by her pillow. He remains there for a long while, focusing on the sound of her breathing.

Sasuke wakes up a few hours later to find himself lying next to Sakura. He lurches upward, leaning on his elbow and praying she doesn't startle awake at his sudden movement. Luckily, she slumbers on, completely unaware of his presence.

 _Sakura,_ he can't help but think as he gazes down at her, _is a very beautiful girl._

He leaves before she wakes up.


	3. Letters

**Chapter three!**

 **Please read, review & enjoy!**

* * *

 **Letters**

Sakura realized her mistake almost immediately after she'd made it.

On that first night in Orochimaru's base all those months ago, she knew she'd screwed up bigtime. Part of her wanted to leave at the first opportunity she got. Wanted to run back to Konoha and beg forgiveness.

And yet.

The thought of Sasuke spending the next few years here with no one to care for him held her back. She loved him, after all. She couldn't leave him.

She couldn't.

On multiple occasions, she's considered sending a message to someone back in Konoha. She's drafted letters to Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Ino, her parents, and even the Hokage, but she hasn't quite mustered up the courage to send any of them. Those intended for her friends or family are relatively lighthearted, but the ones for her former superiors are far more grave.

Most of the letters consist of apologies and general remorse. However, some of them include details of Orochimaru's associates and dens. She's not sure why she adds such information. Perhaps to facilitate a possible rescue.

She usually tears them up after a few days, knowing that if anyone here ever finds them, she's fucked.

* * *

After seven months under Kabuto's tutelage, Sakura is permitted to go on missions with Sasuke as the designated medical ninja. Though, she doesn't find such a title appropriate. Orochimaru has forbidden her to heal civilians and anything short of a fatal wound on her comrades. The old sannin prefers that Sasuke learns to avoid sustaining injuries by forcing him to endure them until he returns to whatever hideout at which they're stationed. Sakura finds the policy a little ill-advised, if not simply cruel.

Normally, it's just the two of them on such assignments, but some of Orochimaru's other underlings join them on occasion. Today, it's business as usual.

"I'll never understand how you manage not to kill anyone on these excursions, Sasuke-kun," Sakura extols as she comes to stand beside her partner. "You really are the very best!"

"Hn," he responds, not looking up at her. From what she can tell, he's become much more receptive of her praise in the past several months, which she attributes to her being the only positive presence in his life these days. She tells herself it's fine that he doesn't reciprocate.

"Let's proceed with the mission," he asserts, nodding towards the rising sun. Together, they pick their way through the rubble and unconscious bodies that resulted from the ambush of enemy rogue nin.

Stepping over a rather large man that she'd punched the lights out of, Sakura remarks, "It's kind of funny, don't you think?"

Sasuke, already on the other side of the battle zone, mutters, "What is?"

"Well," she breathes, hopping over a boulder. "We still have to fight rogue nin all the time despite being rogues ourselves. That's pretty funny, right?"

Finally, he spares her a sideways glance. "Ironic, perhaps."

In the light of dawn, it almost looks like he's smiling.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Sasuke never paid much attention to Sakura. She was well aware of this fact as she'd spent so much time paying attention to him. At first, it hadn't bothered her very much. She knew he was busy and utterly focused on his goal. However, after they'd been on Team 7 for a while and she'd gotten to know him quite well, it started to bug her. They were both genin, so he was really only as busy as she was. Sure, he trained a lot more, but that was when she wasn't around anyway.

Of course, she'd assumed that he was simply one of those people that take a while to appreciate those around him. And it seems as though she was correct.

In the past several months, he's been talking to her more, inviting her to train with him whenever Orochimaru didn't require his presence, and even brought her sweets after a mission he'd gone on without her. Perhaps most significantly, she's caught him glancing at her quite a lot, often giving her appraising looks. Initially, it'd thrown her off, especially since she was so busy herself these days that she hardly has time to pay attention to him.

Ironic, she knows.

Mostly, he looks away when she catches him in the act. Such behavior oddly reminds her of a nervous child with a crush.

But no, that's ridiculous. She'd be insane to believe that Sasuke liked her back, _especially_ because absolutely nothing had changed about their dynamic. She's still entirely smitten with him, and he still has his ambitions.

That's not to say she's not enjoying this change, whatever it is.

A few times, he holds her gaze after their eyes connect. Eventually, she grows so flustered that she has to tear her eyes away, cheeks burning like mad.

This is one of those times.

They've just returned from a mission in which they'd delivered some medical scrolls to Orochimaru, who is currently stationed at a hideout about a day's journey away. It's very early in the morning, about three o'clock, so they've decided to head straight to bed and give Kabuto their mission report in the morning. As they walk down the winding halls to their rooms, Sakura notices Sasuke's gaze is fixed onto her face. She has to hold herself back from grimacing as she knows she must not look too attractive right now. She's exhausted and in desperate need of a shower, and can only imagine how grimy her skin must be.

Upon reaching their respective lodgings, she bids him goodnight and steps forward to enter her room.

"Sakura," Sasuke calls.

With her hand on the knob, she turns to face him. "Yes, Sasuke-ku—"

Her eyes widen as thin lips crash onto hers and calloused hands come to grip either side of her face. Sasuke's eyes are clenched shut. His mouth presses against hers in a chaste kiss for all of three seconds. When he tears himself away, he backs up slowly, sharp eyes flitting over her face.

"Goodnight," he whispers, nodding to himself about something and heading into his room.

Numb aside from her tingling lips, Sakura slips into her room soundlessly. After she closes the door behind her, she stands against it for a full minute, staring into the darkness of the room as she attempts her contemplate what just happened.

 _Does he like me,_ she wonders, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. _He must; why else would he kiss me?_

She almost screams as she realizes that she hadn't kissed him back, which might be why he pulled away. After all, why spend your time kissing a girl that doesn't reciprocate? More importantly, why did he choose now to kiss her?

She falls asleep trying to figure out his reasoning.

After the first-kiss incident, Sakura finds herself sneaking kisses with Sasuke more and more. At first, he always instigates any osculation. He'll pull her around a corner, drag her into a vacant room, and even interrupt their dual training. Some nights, he'll slip into her room and they'll snog for a while. In the beginning, it only lasts for a few minutes before Sasuke retires to his room. As time progresses, such instances grow longer, extending to ten, twenty, thirty minutes. Sometimes, he'll spend the night, but he's always gone when the morning comes.

They cuddle. They hold hands. He nuzzles her hair.

He rarely responds to her attempts at pillow talk. He never whispers sweet nothings in her ear.

Sakura isn't sure how she feels about it all.

* * *

She's cleaning up after herself in the labs when she feels Sasuke's chakra flare. She promptly drops the rag in her hand and rushes towards the sound of the explosion that shakes the underground lair. She weaves her way through the corridors, realizing after a few turns that she's headed to her room.

 _Please let my room still be intact,_ she internally pleads.

When she passes the last corner, she sees that the entire hall has been blown apart. However, that's not what calls for her attention.

Sasuke stands at the top of the newly manufactured crater, staring down at Naruto and two other Konoha shinobi. "Ah, is it Sakura," he calls as she enters the clearing. Everyone's attention is drawn to her. The two unknown ninja slide into defensive positions as they notice her behind them, while Naruto's reaction is both surprising and entirely predictable.

"Sakura," he shouts gleefully, launching himself at her and enveloping her in a bear hug. She's too shocked to do anything but stand still and silent. For years now, she's wrestled endlessly with herself on whether or not she should return to Konoha. Her mind constantly strays to those she's left behind and what she could be doing if she had stayed with them. Now, with one of the most important people from her old life holding her tight and blathering about how much he's missed her, she doesn't know how she's going to keep herself from returning home with him.

She looks over Naruto's shoulder at Sasuke and remembers why she came with him in the first place. He needs someone to be here for him. She loves him. She can't leave him.

She just _can't._

Sakura forces herself to push Naruto away. He stumbles back from her, eyes shining with hurt, but she doesn't let herself dwell on it. Concentrating on the chakra flowing through the soles of her feet, she runs up the wall of the cavern until she reaches Sasuke's side.

She can't quite bring herself to look at Naruto again.


	4. Seduction

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the delay, I just finished up my finals.**

 **warning(?): there is a verrrrrryyyyy light M in this chapter**

 **Please read, review & enjoy!**

* * *

 **Seduction**

Standing in Orochimaru's office, Sasuke wants to peel his skin off.

Orochimaru's skin, that is.

Despite having completed his last mission perfectly, Sasuke has been receiving a lecture for the past five minutes about shit he just doesn't give a shit about.

"You need to stop taking those afternoon naps," the sannin presses on. Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I'm serious. I'll be taking your body soon and I don't want to get tired in the middle of the day."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke sees Sakura flinch almost imperceptibly. The closer the three-year deadline has gotten, the more on edge she's been.

"Now, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru digresses, eyes sliding to the pink-haired rogue. "I have something exciting for you."

Sakura straightens in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," he says, face splitting into his signature creepy smile. He hands her a scroll. "Your first seduction mission."

"O-oh," Sakura murmurs, lips turning down in an uneasy frown. She unfurls the scroll and looks over its contents.

Sasuke has a different reaction.

"What the fuck," he shouts. "She can't do a seduction mission. She's _sixteen!"_

Orochimaru shrugs, looking utterly pleased at Sasuke's distress. "The age of consent in Otogakure is fourteen."

"Yeah, because you're a fucking pedophile," Sasuke spits.

"Sasuke-kun, it's fine," Sakura interjects, reaching out to brush his arm. "This is just part of being a kunoichi."

Sasuke's frustration only grows at her words. There's no reason she should be comforting him about this. She's the one that has to fuck some sleazy lowlife, and all because he decided to drag her down with him three years ago. "Hn. Whatever," he grumbles, turning away. He's out the door before Orochimaru has a chance to dismiss him.

Sasuke hears Sakura enter her room at roughly nine o'clock. He waits until eleven before heading over.

She's on him the moment he closes the door behind him, tugging at his collar and pressing her lips to his.

"Someone's excited," he hums between kisses, pushing her towards the bed. She plops onto the mattress, and Sasuke's eyes drop to her breasts as they bounce in time with the spring of the bed. He notices that she's wearing only knickers and a thin tank-top.

"I've been waiting for you for two hours," she breathes, pursing her lips in an attractive pout. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she might be trying to seduce him.

Sasuke slips off his sandals and kicks them towards the door. "Hn. Really?"

She grasps at his shirt and pulls him onto the bed with her. "As if you didn't know," she gasps out before sucking his tongue into her mouth. One of Sakura's hands roams under his shirt while the other finds purchase in his hair. He grips her waist and tries to kiss her back with as much vigor as she's displaying.

Suddenly, she pushes him into a sitting position, clambers onto his lap, and rejoins their lips. Sasuke only allows himself to be startled for half a second before returning his hands to her waist. After a minute or so, Sakura breaks away from him and promptly tears her shirt off. His brain short-circuits at the sight of her bared chest. "Sasuke-kun," she purrs, leaning in once more to lick a path up his neck. Still completely stunned, it's all Sasuke can do to nuzzle her hair with his cheek and run a hand down her naked back. It's only when she places her hand on the growing bulge of his pants that his mind comes back to him.

He grips her wrist and pulls her hand away. "What are you doing?" Frowning, Sakura looks down at the sheets. She shrugs, clearly not intending to answer him. " _Sakura,"_ he says, tone reproachful.

Finally meeting his eyes again, she sighs in her typical over-the-top manner. "I just wanted my first time to mean something."

 _Ah,_ Sasuke thinks, _so that's what this is about._

"Look," Sasuke tells her, maneuvering her off his lap. He stands and picks her shirt off the floor before handing it back to her. He keeps his eyes on the floor until she pulls it over her head. "It shouldn't be this way."

"You don't think I know that," she cries, jumping off the bed and coming to stand in front of him, fire in her eyes. "But that's the situation. These are the circumstances _—my_ circumstances." Then all at once, she deflates, eyes cast down again. "I'd rather it be with you than some criminal."

Unable to process the emotional gravity behind anything she's said, he simply retorts, "I'm a criminal."

She laughs, but there's no humor behind the sound. "You know what I mean."

A moment of heavy silence ensues, which both of them spend gazing at the ground instead of each other. At long last, Sasuke voices what's been on his mind all day. "Just don't go on the mission."

"Yeah, right," she snorts, conveying her incredulity. "Orochimaru would have to die tomorrow for that to happen."

Sasuke places his hand under her chin and tilts her head up. "So maybe he dies tomorrow."

* * *

Sasuke has Sakura distract Kabuto while he kills Orochimaru.

At first, part of him is worried he won't be able to defeat the sannin as he'd only finalized his plans to kill the decrepit snake the night before. However, when Orochimaru opens up the private dimension for the body transfer jutsu and he's able to see all the vulnerable cracks in the old man's mind, he knows he's won.

Soon after his victory, Sakura stumbles into the doorway looking a little worse for wear. He continues to stand still in the middle of the room. Eventually, he turns and walks past her.

She stops him as he's making his way down the hall. "Right now, which one are you?"

Looking back at her, an accomplished smile graces his lips. "Who do you think?"

Before she has the chance to answer, he pulls her into Orochimaru's crumbling dimension. Bewildered, she surveys the carnage he left behind.

He releases her mind, and she asks, "So, Orochimaru is dead?" He says nothing, and she goes on, "No, this is like . . ."

Grinning again, he affirms, "I took him over."

With that, he turns and continues on his way.

* * *

 **P.S. I accidentally uploaded the fourth chapter of a diff story when trying to update this one, so sorry for any confusion!**


	5. Squished

**We're halfway through!**

 **Please read, review & enjoy!**

* * *

 **Squished**

Sakura doesn't like Suigetsu or Karin.

Suigetsu is vulgar and psychotic. He's obsessed with those stupid ninja swords, and takes every opportunity to make obscene comments.

Karin is loud, violent, and neurotic. She's always screeching about something only she cares about or making Suigetsu's head explode. Perhaps most irritating of all, she can't seem to keep her hands off Sasuke.

"Sasuke _-kun,"_ Karin whines, clinging to his arm. "This is so boring. Let's go do something _fun."_

Sakura rolls her eyes at the all-too obvious meaning behind the other girl's suggestion. "Karin," she snaps. "Stop slacking off. You're supposed to be on look-out."

Grip on Sasuke tightening even further, Karin sneers, "Whatever. You're just jealous, Pinky."

Face contorting in contempt, Sakura turns back to her own task. As she continues pouring over the tomes in the abandoned Uchiha base, she can't help but hiss, "As if I'd ever be jealous of some crazy, thirsty-ass bitch."

From a few feet over, Suigetsu snickers at her remark. His razor-sharp teeth glint in the torchlight.

Another four hours of scouring the repository later, Sakura finds Sasuke in a dusty corner of the depot. "I don't think there's anything here on Itachi's techniques," she tells him, making sure to keep her tone from turning sympathetic. Sasuke doesn't take well to anything reminiscent of pity.

"I think you're right," he divulges, standing from his crouched position on the floor.

She steps to the side as he comes nearer so he that can pass her. Unexpectedly, he dips forward as he approaches, one hand slipping around her waist and the other coming to grasp the back of her neck. His lips slide over hers in a languid caress.

Sakura smiles into the kiss. It's been quite a while since they've indulged in such simple pleasures. He presses her into the bookshelf behind her, kissing her harder. Their noses bump and their teeth clack. As his lips move from hers and begin to slide down her neck, the hand around her waist comes to grasp the flesh of her hip. She groans into the stuffy air of the old library at the sensations being wrought upon her.

When she tilts her head to nuzzle Sasuke's wild mane of hair in affection, he abruptly pulls away, putting her at arm's length. She makes a small noise of confusion, but he doesn't respond, choosing to turn and stride away instead.

She only waits between the stacks for two minutes before wiping her tears and joining the rest of her—new—team.

* * *

Sasuke's fight with Diedara is brutal despite his victory. Sakura puts him on indefinite bedrest, which he agrees to on the condition that they'll head out as soon as they get a lead on Itachi's location. Over the first few days, she notices that Sasuke seems to be healing at an accelerated pace. She also notices that Karin seems cheerier than usual and wonders if the girl has a new bite mark or two, much to her displeasure.

As she sits at his bedside in small town hostel, she struggles to hold her tongue about the issue.

Sitting across from her, Suigetsu gripes, "Karin's taking too damn long. How long does it take to run a couple of errands?"

Sakura sighs. "You know how she is." Rolling her eyes, she adds, grumbling, "Probably planning to ravage Sasuke-kun again."

Suigetsu laughs. "Well, I'm gonna see if I can find her." He turns to Jūgo, who's sitting on the windowsill. "Do me a favor and keep yourself under control, okay?" Jūgo assents with a nod. Satisfied, Suigetsu reaches for the sliding door, but it slams down on him as Karin suddenly kicks it in. Surprised, Sakura and Jūgo turn to observe their squished teammate. In the midst of being crushed, Suigetsu wheezes, "What . . . the shit. . . ."

Unperturbed, Karin addresses Sasuke. "We've been followed. What should we do?"

Sasuke, still lying in bed, turns his head to regard the redhead. "We run for it. Get everything ready. Jūgo, grab the map and mark the location of every Akatsuki hideout you learned about."

Once at the village gate a few minutes later, Sakura asks, "All set, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah." He throws his cloak over his shoulders. "Absorbing Orochimaru's abilities really increased my healing power."

Uncomfortable with Sasuke's statement, Sakura turns her face down to hide her grimace.

Karin pipes up with her two cents on their pursuers. "It could be Akatsuki or the Leaf, but it doesn't really matter." She looks up at Sasuke from under her eyelashes. "The Leaf might have info on Itachi, so maybe we should try to ambush them. What do you think, Sasuke?"

"If there are as many people as you said, then odds are it's the Leaf. Akatsuki only moves in two-man teams," Sasuke affirms.

Suigetsu points out that "ambushing them would be a waste of our time."

Sasuke concurs, "Agreed. We don't bother with the Leaf."

Despite herself, Sakura can't help but feel a tinge of disappointment knowing that this is yet another day she'll go without seeing anyone from home.

 _Konoha,_ she corrects herself, _and I have Sasuke-kun._

"What do we do then," Karin asks.

Sasuke reaches into his cloak. "Find Itachi. If we find him, then the worst case scenario is you four having to fight the Leaf ninja." He pulls out a wrapped scroll. "For now, we move as Hebi and follow up on what Jūgo learned."

Ostensibly hesitant, Karin accedes, "Okay. . . ."

Without wasting another second, Sasuke turns and passes through the gate, cloak billowing around him. "Let's go." Hebi follows suit. Upon the team's arrival at the dilapidated shrine in the forested mountain range to which Jūgo's intel had led them, Sasuke nods towards a statue shrouded in shadows up the cliff side. "Up ahead." All of them look at the entrance of the shrine. Part of Sakura expects Itachi to pop out at any moment, sharingan blazing and swords swinging. Sasuke instructs, "You three stay here and wait for my orders. I'll check it myself," and starts forward.

Courage bubbling up in her chest, Sakura wishes him "good luck" in the cheeriest voice she can manage under the circumstances.

Sasuke doesn't pause or look back.

* * *

Sakura doesn't see Sasuke for two days and worries ceaselessly. She certainly isn't comforted by the untrustworthy cretin Tobi's reassurances, especially after he explains the ordeal with the Uchiha massacre and reveals the fact that he's _Uchiha Madara_. Even if Itachi truly had good intentions, why should they trust the man that helped him slaughter their own kin?

When Sasuke finally meets with his team—now Taka—again, Sakura is rattled by the change in him. He's crying so openly, and it's not the first time it feels wrong to comfort him, but it is the first time she doesn't even want to.

She's absolutely appalled at his declaration that the team's efforts will now go towards destroying Konoha, and a cold feeling settles in her stomach.

Sakura isn't sure how much longer she can go along with this, in love or not.


	6. Beautiful

**Another chapter! Please read, review and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All lyrics belong to Kelly Clarkson.**

* * *

 **Beautiful**

After the meeting with Tobi and Kisame in the Akatsuki hideout about their teams' next moves, Sasuke and the rest of Taka turn in for the night. They'll need their rest for what they have planned.

In front of him, Sakura stops in her tracks on her way to the room she shares with Karin. Karin takes a few more steps without her before turning back with a miffed frown. "Aren't you coming?"

Ahead of them, Suigetsu and Jūgo head into their room.

Moving closer to Karin, Sakura lowers her voice. "Be honest with me. Don't you think that meeting was a little . . . disconcerting?"

Karin's eyes run down the corridor. Her gaze rests on him for a moment before she answers in a tone matching Sakura's. "What are you talking about?"

Sakura makes an apprehensive gesture. "Collecting the bijuus; attacking the jinchuurikis. Doesn't all this stuff worry you?" Perturbed by her train of thought, Sasuke inches forward to hear her better. "I mean," she goes on quietly. "We don't know what these people are going to do with this kind of power. We don't even know what _Sasuke—"_

"Sakura," Sasuke calls, voice resounding in the hall. He opens his door. "I'd like to speak to you for a minute."

Her shoulders tense, and he can only imagine her expression. She's managed to school her features when she turns around. She follows him into his room, and he tells her to close the door. Face carefully passive, she does.

Sakura gives him a tight smile. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

He approaches her with slow steps. "Is there something you're 'worried' about, Sakura?"

She's silent for half a moment, wearing a look of careful contemplation. She surprises him by being brutally honest, "Yes."

"Hn?" He steps closer still.

Taking a deep breath, she goes on, "Naruto is the Nine-Tails' jinchuuriki, Sasuke-kun. You heard what those men said they were going to do to him."

"So," he snaps, losing his composure for a hot second. "Naruto is no longer our teammate."

" _So,"_ she fires back, anger burning behind her soft green eyes.

Sasuke feels resentment build in his chest at her statement. He can't help but notice that this always happens when the topic of their old team comes up. Nor can he help but wonder why. Jealousy, he tells himself every time, isn't the reason. Slowly, he seethes, "You'll go along with whatever I decide."

Sakura's nose scrunches up in a way he used to think was endearing. "I may have chosen to follow you, Sasuke-kun, but I don'twork for you."

"Oh, you don't?" He sneers, "That's funny considering you do everything I say."

"Don't get cocky, Sasuke-kun," she bites back. "It's unbecoming."

His glare deepens, and his lips twist in quiet fury. "Watch it, Sakura."

Her body trembles with barely contained rage, but as she parts her lips to deliver whatever scathing retort she'd prepared, she deflates just like she always does during arguments with him. She rubs her face in frustration. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. This is all just so stressful." Before he can move out of range, she grabs his hands and entwines their fingers. "Forgive me?"

The timid upturn of her lips gnaws away at him, and he finds himself easing off. "Hn."

Her smile grows, and she gets up on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips. He turns his head before she can land the kiss.

He unclasps their hands and turns away before he can see the disappointment register on her face. Busying himself with untying his obi, he hopes she'll take the hint and leave him be.

She doesn't. She never does.

"Listen," she starts amid the terribly awkward atmosphere. "Can I stay here with you tonight?"

 _Oh, for shit's sake,_ Sasuke gripes inwardly. _Why can't she ever leave me alone?_ She's always getting in the way of things. It would be so much easier to accomplish things without her 'd surely feel less guilty whenever he did anything that was morally ambiguous.

"Sasuke-kun?"

" _No,"_ he grinds out.

She makes a sound between a scoff and a choked-up gasp. "Why?"

"Because there's no time for pointless stuff like that," he grumbles, glaring at the wall in front of him. He doesn't want to look back and see whatever piteous expression she's sporting. Not because he feels he may cave if he does, of course. He simply doesn't want to acknowledge her ridiculous behavior.

He finally turns around at the sound of the door slamming. A crack forms on the wall next to the door hinge. _Hn,_ he thinks with narrowed eyes. _The building's foundation must be weak._

* * *

The members of Taka—Sasuke, mostly—chart their journey to Unraikyo before they leave the Akatsuki base. It's going to be a five-day trip, so they pack extra water jugs and jerky for the road. They depart one morning at dawn, each of them wearing their new Akatsuki robes. Sasuke heads the pack, as per usual. For two days, they maintain a relatively efficient routine. They stop at dusk, set up camp and eat, sleep for six hours, and head out again a few hours before dawn. They split keeping watch into three-hour shifts.

On the third day, they stop at a saloon because Suigetsu won't stop griping about "decent fucking food" with the agreement that he'll keep watch the whole night. Jūgo, Suigetsu and Sasuke sit at one table, and in front of them, the girls sit at another. The tavern has a musician performing, and Sasuke doesn't like her song one bit.

"He's as damned as he seems

"With more heaven than a heart could hold

"And if I try to save him

"My whole world would cave in

"It just ain't right," the dark-haired songstress sings, likely about a past lover.

Sasuke nose twitches in tune with his discomfort at how entranced Sakura seems to be with the ballad. It's not like every song has a relatable, symbolic message behind it.

The singer warbles on with the chorus, "Oh and I don't know

"I don't know what he's after

Sakura's whispered comments to Karin the other day were ridiculous. He's been perfectly clear with the team about what he's after. He's getting revenge for his clan by destroying Konoha—plain and simple. It's not his fault that means Naruto has to die, too.

"But he's so beautiful

"He's such a beautiful disaster

"And if I could hold on

"Through the tears and the laughter

She doesn't cry that much anymore. Though, she doesn't really laugh either—not like she used to.

"Would it be beautiful

"Or just a beautiful disaster," the musician breathes, strumming along with her guitar.

Sakura is leaning her head on her palm, ignoring her food in favor of scrutinizing the performance.

"He's as strong as what I believe

She's always rambling on about how strong he is. He'd always assumed it was mere flattery.

"A tragedy with

"More damage than a soul should see

His lips twist uncomfortably.

"But do I try to change him

He scoffs inwardly. _Like she could ever._

"It's so hard not to blame him

He's seen the way she observes him as of late, like she can no longer accept the decisions he makes; like sometimes she's talking to nothing but an angry fool.

"Hold me tight," the woman pleads to no one, much like Sakura did to him the other day. "Baby, hold me tight."

When the chorus comes around again, Sakura mouths along with the lyrics.

On the fourth day, Jūgo is lighting the campfire when Sasuke decrees, "Sakura, you have first watch; then Suigetsu."

And just like the last three days, Sakura waits until after he's shrugged off his Akatsuki cloak to approach him. "Sasuke-kun, can I have a word?"

"I don't know, can you," he returns, feeling oddly childish for a second.

Her brow furrows. "Huh?"

" _No,"_ he states clearly. "I don't want to have this conversation again, Sakura."

"Well, I think it's important that we do—"

His upper lip curls in utter frustration. "Why?"

Her hands go to her hips. "Because I feel that you're not really listening to me." Sasuke narrows his eyes at her, neglecting to reply. It's mostly true. She gives him an imploring look and gestures to beyond the grassy clearing in which they've made camp. "So, can we please—"

"If you have something you'd like to say, you may share it with the group," he declares. Everyone's attention falls on Sakura, and Sasuke hopes more than anything that she'll relent out of embarrassment.

She squares her shoulders, and he almost sighs.

"We shouldn't complete this mission," she insists.

Sasuke tries not to roll his eyes at her repeated complaint.

Suigetsu doesn't. "Oh, come on," he gripes. "Don't go chicken-shit on us now. If we don't finish this mission, I'll never have a chance at Samehada!"

Sakura stomps her foot and turns her nose up at the white-haired rogue. "Shut the fuck up, Suigetsu! No one cares about your stupid ninja swords!"

"Hey, we all have our reasons for being here," Suigetsu contends in a surprisingly calm manner. "I want swords, Sasuke wants murder, Karin wants dick, you want—wait;" his face pulls into a confused grimace. "What do you want exactly?"

"I'm here," she iterates, "because I wanted—want—to help Sasuke achieve his goals."

 _Wanted,_ his mind echoes, a little incredulous.

"Listen," she implores, turned toward their teammates and completely unaware of his consternation. "I know we've done some gray-area shit in the past, but this is big stuff. A lot of innocent people could suffer if we deliver the Eight-Tails to these guys."

He swallows thickly. "Sakura—"

"And I really think," she goes on, practically fucking ignoring him at this point, "that we should consider the role we'd have in whatever they're planning if we do this."

"Sakura," he snarls, grabbing her arm and whirling her back around to face him. "We're working with the Akatsuki now. We're not gonna have a debate on what to do or their fucking intentions."

"Well, _maybe,"_ she persists, "we shouldn't have joined them in the first place."

"I didn't bring you along so you could question me at every turn," he nearly shouts.

She stumbles over her words, "I thought—"

"What," he snaps, deciding to throw caution to the wind. "You thought that because I graced your bed, I care about what you think?" He sneers. "You were just a warm body."

Sakura's face morphs into a positively appalled expression, and a hush falls over the campsite as the rest of Team Taka watches the confrontation continue to unfold with bated breath. "Oh, shit," Suigetsu whispers to Jūgo.

Her mouth opens and closes without a word, and Sasuke has to hold himself back from smirking. He got her. Finally, this endless dispute can be over.

His feeling of triumph doesn't last long, however.

Something that looks like resolve slips into Sakura's glassy eyes. It's the first time he's ever seen the emotion reflected so strongly in her. The only other time it's gotten remotely close to this was when she decided to leave Konoha with him. Briefly and certainly not for the first time, he wonders how often she regrets that decision. Right now, perhaps.

" _And if I could hold on_

" _Through the tears and the laughter,"_ a voice suddenly sings in his mind.

"I was just going to say," she continues, looking like she can't believe she's still talking, "that since I've known you since we were kids—"

" _Would it be beautiful"_

He bites back at her without missing a beat. "We're not friends."

Her eyes flit around the camp, not quite meeting anyone else's. "Whatever," she mumbles. "Forget it." A tear slips down the right side of her face, and she wipes it away as she turns and walks briskly into the surrounding woodland.

The other three nins' eyes remained trained on Sasuke. For what is perhaps the first time ever, Karin doesn't seem overtly pleased with his dismissal of Sakura. Sasuke shrugs it off. He doesn't care. He has far bigger fish to fry. He retreats to his bedroll and watches the cool breeze tickle the leaves at the tops of the trees far above his head until his consciousness falls away.

The next morning, three soldier pills and Sakura are gone.

" _Or just a beautiful disaster?"_

* * *

 **I couldn't resist including the song, you guys. I hope you liked the added element!**


	7. Top-Class Ninjas

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone!**

 **Please read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Top-Class Ninjas**

At the end of the argument with Sasuke, she tried to remind herself of all the things she'd told herself over the past three years. That he was just stressed. That learning the truth about Itachi had put an extra strain on him. That he was simply anxious to avenge his family.

She'd tried to tell herself those things, but all she could think was _fuck it._

* * *

Sakura walks through the gate of Konohagakure two days after abandoning Taka with her hands raised over her head. Izumo strips her of her weaponry while Kotetsu secures her hands behind her back. She'd left behind her slashed forehead protector and Akatsuki cloak, so all she wears are her sandals, white shorts, navy blue tank top and long gloves. She remains silent throughout the entire process.

Izumo stays at his post to keep an eye out for anyone that may have come along or followed her while Kotetsu leads her to the Hokage Tower. "Never thought you'd come back here, Sakura-chan," the bandaged shinobi remarks, tightly gripping her wrists. The words are said with a snide tone. Ostensibly, he's not glad of her return.

"Me neither," she whispers, neck craned downward and hair hanging in her face without her forehead protector to hold it back. She always imagined she'd die before she returned to Konoha, or that she would come upon it as it stood under siege. Nonetheless, she's content having come back despite the uncertainty of how she'll be received. The air in Konoha has always felt fresher to her, perhaps due to all the time she's spent underground and inside mountains.

Once they reach the Hokage Tower, Kotetsu guides her through the building and up the stairs. She sustains a mix of malicious and surprised glances as they go. The most unpleasant look comes from Shikamaru, who regards her with a wary stance. She turns her head, unable to bear his scrutiny for too long.

When they enter the Hokage's office, Sakura finds that Tsunade is already expecting her. The older medic ninja probably felt her presence when she entered the village gate. Tsunade nods at Kotetsu, and he leaves Sakura alone with her. Neither kunoichi says anything for a short juncture of time, each of them clearly expecting the other to speak first.

Finally, Tsunade breaches the silence, "So, you've returned." Her slim, red-lipped smile is sly, but her eyes remain vigilant lest Sakura make any sudden movements. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Sakura doesn't miss a beat. "I left him in a forest outside of Unraikyo with the rest of his team. They're working with the Akatsuki to capture the remaining jinchuurikis, Killer B and Naruto."

Tsunade raises her brow, evidently surprised by Sakura's willing admission. "You've come here to spill your guts in exchange for clemency." It's not a question. Sakura nods, and Tsunade picks up a pen. "Let's get started, then."

The two of them remain sealed in the office for nearly ten hours as Sakura recounts every detail of the last three years of her life. Tsunade listens intently, asking for details about Kabuto, Sasuke and the Akatsuki here and there.

Tsunade asks for clarification on the meeting between Taka and the Akatsuki. "So, Uchiha Madara said the Akatsuki was going to move on Konoha in order to capture Naruto, yes?" Sakura nods in affirmation. "Do you know when?"

Regretfully, Sakura informs her, "No. They never wanted to give us too much information. Honestly, I'm not even sure why they agreed to work with Taka in the first place."

Tsunade nods, biting her lip in a mix of frustration and contemplation. "Very well. I'll send out some scouts and triple the village's sentries." Her face turns to her desk as she scribbles more notes for herself.

Sakura sits there awkwardly, not quite sure how things will proceed from here. As per her verbal agreement with the Hokage, she should be released into civilian life with no jail time. Nonetheless, she still finds herself shifting nervously in her chair.

"Stop squirming," Tsunade barks, not looking up. A little resentfully, Sakura complies. After a few more minutes, Tsunade turns her attention back to Sakura. "Well, you're free to go, I suppose." The pressure in Sakura's chest dissipates, and she stands, smiling. As she makes her way to the door, Tsunade calls out to her, "Provided your cross-examination with the Analysis Team goes well, of course."

Sakura whips back around, cotton candy-colored hair flying about her face. "What," she snaps, incredulous.

"What," Tsunade intones, leaning back in her seat. "You thought I was just gonna take your word for everything, little miss missing-nin?"

Sakura's lips twist, and she growls. She should've expected this. They could've sent her to the Interrogation Force right out of the gate, but having her speak to the Hokage first would prove her trustworthiness. _Oh, well,_ she sighs. _At least, I was honest. There's nothing to worry about._

"Don't worry," Tsunade sardonically croons. "As long as your stories match up, you'll be fine. Though, if they don't, you'll find yourself behind bars for the rest of your miserable life, 'kay?"

Sakura gives no outward reaction, opening the door and stepping into the hall. She's met by Yamanaka Inoichi, who gazes down at her with a dour, displeased frown. Inwardly, she cringes. She'd been hoping she could put off the disappointing reunions until tomorrow.

"Sakura-chan," he greets, not unkindly.

She swallows past the lump in her throat. "Inoichi-jii-san," she returns. He turns, and she watches his long, blond ponytail sway back and forth as he walks. As she follows closely behind him, she thinks of how poorly Ino is going to receive her when they inevitably see each other again. Not well, in all likelihood.

Her interrogation takes about three hours due to her compliance, but by the time it's over, she's nevertheless exhausted. She's been awake for three straight days, after all. She wants nothing more than to curl up in her childhood bed, something she's been dreaming about for years now.

Another familiar shinobi meets her outside of the Konoha Intelligence Division. "Glad to see you back, Sakura," he addresses her, sole visible eye crinkling warmly.

"Hi, Kakashi-sensei," she breathes, finding relief in the first non-hostile exchange she's had in months. She feels even more allayed when he pulls her in for a hug, but then the dam breaks. "I'm so sorry," she sobs into his chest, maybe squeezing him a little too hard. "I never should've left with Sasuke. I should've known—"

He shushes her, comfortingly stroking her hair. "It's okay," he reassures her. "What matters is that you're back now."

Sakura nods, still weeping and smearing snot all over his flak jacket. "Sorry," she mumbles as she pulls away and wipes her tears.

"Save your apologies," he advises, beginning to guide her down the road. "You'll need them for where I'm taking you."

Laughing nervously, she cracks, "How ominous." Not amused, he levels her with a sobering stare. Her laugh dies out. "I guess it's time to face the music, huh?"

He lays an arm over her shoulders. "Sakura, every week for the past three years, I have updated your parents on any and all non-confidential information about you. They _desperately_ want to see you. It may be a little rough at first, but it's going to be okay."

"Wow," she sighs, her voice a shaky exhale. "When did you get so good at consoling people, Kakashi-sensei?"

He shakes his head, eye rolling. "Naruto whines a lot, so I get plenty of practice."

A hearty guffaw spills from her lips, though she does feel bad about laughing at Naruto's misery. "Where is he, by the way?"

Kakashi is quiet for a second before answering, "I'll tell you some other time."

She nods, a little shamefaced. "Right. I get it." He doesn't trust her just yet, nor does he want to tell a potential enemy the whereabouts of the village's jinchuuriki.

The rest of their journey to her parents' home is spent in silence. When they arrive at the Harunos' doorstep, he stands back and nods at her encouragingly. Swallowing tightly, she knocks at the red wood of the door. Inside, a light turns on, shining through the upstairs window. Within a few seconds, she can hears footsteps sounding in the front hall. The door is opening before she can quite prepare herself, and across from her stand Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki.

Sakura's father's spiky pink hair is shorter than she remembers, and his shoulders are tight with something she can't quite identify. Her mother gazes down at her with a well-worn face. She's grown older than Sakura could've imagined in only three years, probably as a result of all the stress. Neither of them draw a single breath, nor utter a simple word.

Sakura's tears come back to her much too easily. "I—" Her voice sticks in her throat. "I am so sorry, Okaa-san, Otou-san. I missed you so much. I never should've—"

She's cut off as her father's arms suddenly snap out, hands coming to grip her shoulders and pull her into his chest. The rest of her offerings of remorse gets muffled into his pajama shirt along with her wails of guilt. Her cries only grow louder as she feels her mother's arms join her father's in curling around her back.

Her hands grip tightly at their sides as she pulls back to look into their faces. Her father's cheeks are streaked with tears, much like she imagines hers to be. "I'm home."

* * *

"So, you and Sasuke were replaced after Naruto returned from training with Jiraiya. Sasuke by this pseudo-ANBU guy, Sai—who is _super_ cute, by the way," Ino rambles, having been speaking for about fifteen minutes straight now.

When Sakura had first returned, Ino had studiously avoided her, insisting that she wanted nothing to do with her "absolute traitor of a former best friend." For the past few months, Sakura has abided by her less-than-pleasant request, miffed but empathetic. Today, she'd run into Ino on the street and they'd engaged in a brief screaming match before calming down, and then Ino had dragged her away to their old breakfast spot.

The blonde girl continues, "And you by this girl named Setsuko whose original team died in this _tragic_ accident, but she kinda went crazy so you don't have to worry about her tryna upstage you."

Sakura pushes the eggs around on her plate. "I don't remember her from when they infiltrated the compound."

Ino nods. "Yeah, I think she was already gone by then. I'm telling you: she didn't last long."

Sakura feels a twinge of commiseration. "That's unfortunate."

Shrugging, Ino says, "It's a hard life for us ninjas." Her eyes turn up from her smoothie, sparkling from under her pale lashes. "Speaking of, how was life as a _rogue_ ninja?"

Shaking her head, Sakura leans back in her chair. "You know I can't tell you any confidential information."

Ino titters, but there isn't much joy in her laugh. "I _mean,_ why did you finally drop Sasuke and hightail it back home?"

"It's a long story," Sakura sighs, scratching her nose. "I went with him so that I could watch out for him—keep him tethered to reality—but it was all in vain. There was nothing I could do to deter him from the path he's taken."

Somewhat sympathetic, Ino purses her lips. "I'm sorry, Forehead."

Sakura snorts, pleased to hear her friend reverting to her old nickname. "Thanks, Pig."

"I have to ask, though," Ino continues, leaning forward. "Did you guys ever—"

Screams sound from outside the café, garnering the attention of both kunoichi. They run outside, Sakura absentmindedly dropping a few ryō onto the table.

Under the beating sun, Sakura spots a figure in a billowing red and black cloak soar through the sky. "Oh, no," she whispers, frozen with fear. "They're here."

* * *

The Akatsuki attack on Konoha had been a long and brutal battle. Everyone had pitched in to fight Pein, even Sakura, who had been stripped of her status as a shinobi. Nonetheless, they'd been losing miserably until Naruto had shown up, adorned with colorful robes and sporting flashy new senjutsu techniques.

After the battle, they'd finally had a chance to speak after so much time apart. Sakura was infinitely pleased that Naruto had welcomed her back with open arms. It was good to see her friend so admired by the village, as well.

Unfortunately, their elation at winning the fight against the Akatsuki members hadn't lasted long. Since Tsunade was effectively out of commission, Danzo had been appointed as the next Hokage and immediately ordered that Sasuke be killed on sight. Naturally, Naruto had hightailed it out of the ruins of Konoha to find Danzo and convince him to change his mind.

Sakura and Shikamaru had organized a makeshift team to safeguard Naruto from his own foolhardiness. She had known he'd never be able to deter Danzo from killing Sasuke, not after the heinous man had massacred the Uchiha clan years earlier. Not to mention, she knew that Sasuke was after Danzo, and she desperately wanted to keep Naruto from running into him. She'd only just reunited with her estranged friend and teammate; she couldn't lose him now.

When her team had finally caught up with Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato, it'd hurt to lie to Naruto about her feelings in order to stop him, but it had to be done. She knows he'll never be able to convince Sasuke to change his mind about Konoha. She knows that she has to stop Sasuke from attacking their village.

She knows that she has to kill him.

After Sakura knocks out Sai, Kiba and Lee, she heads for Sasuke. She runs through the terrain at top speed for one kilometer before she spots him in a rocky, man-made gorge. He's standing over Karin, chidori ignited in his hand and drenched in blood. His sharingan is deactivated, but Sakura's not fooled into a false sense of safety.

"Sasuke-kun," she yells, catching the attention of the other two nin. Karin looks relieved to see her for the first time ever. Sasuke, on the other hand, looks wholly disheveled and angrier than he did the day she last saw him. Panting, she stops, and the two of them regard each other from afar.

 _He's like a different person,_ she thinks. _Is this even Sasuke?_

"What do you want with me," Sasuke asks, expression deceitfully impassive.

Sakura slips a kunai out of her thigh holster, holding it outside of her cloak for him to see. He doesn't react. Her eyes dart down to the red-headed girl bleeding at his feet, and a pang of concern sweeps through her. "What are doing to Karin," she asks, rather than answering him.

"As you can see," he drawls, "She's useless to me now."

"So, what," Sakura barks. "You're just gonna kill her after everything she's done for you?"

"Hn," he affirms as she nears him in slow, cautious steps. He conveys absolutely no remorse, which makes Sakura feel sick.

 _How heartless. He really isn't the old Sasuke-kun anymore,_ she reflects, reminiscing on their genin days for a brief moment. _He's completely changed._

When she reaches her rogue ex-teammates, Sasuke turns to face her, but she keeps her attention focused on Karin. The poor girl is bleeding out. Karin needs medical assistance as soon as possible, but Sakura can't heal her until she's dealt with Sasuke.

 _If I can stab Sasuke-kun right now,_ she considers, bottom lip trembling despite herself, _this will all end!_

She closes her eyes to muster up the courage to kill the boy she loves, kunai clutched in both hands in front of her. She has to do it. This is the time. She'd already decided. She just needs to get it over with.

"Sasuke, don't do it," Karin mutters weakly, breaking Sakura from her stupor.

She feels the thrum of electricity behind her and knows that Sasuke has engaged his chidori once more, but this time he means to kill _her,_ not Karin. With the utmost urgency, she turns. Eyes wide, she watches as his lit-up hand approaches her neck. The endless black eyes she adores so much are tinged with madness.

Panic flares within her as she releases he's too fast and close for her to get out of the way in time. Devastated at what their relationship's come to, she almost resigns herself to her fate. She can't help but feel that a part of her drove him to this. Her betrayal of him was so recent, after all. Not to mention, she'd come here to kill him.

Just before Sasuke comes in contact with her, their old sensei shows up out of nowhere, grabbing Sasuke's hand and pushing it down. "You've fallen so low, Sasuke," Kakashi says, disappointment evident in his voice.

Sasuke, just as surprised as Sakura by Kakashi's sudden arrival, twists his wrists and flips away from the white-haired jounin. "Ha," he shouts. "They just keep on coming!"

Kakashi crouches next to her in a defensive position, muttering out of the corner of his mouth, "You were trying to kill Sasuke on your own, weren't you, Sakura?" Ashamed despite her earlier conviction, she turns her face to the ground. "There's no reason for you to shoulder this burden all by yourself," he goes on. "As the leader of Team Seven, I blame my own personal shortcomings for the team failing. I apologize, I've been a terrible sensei to you all."

At his final remark, Sakura looks up, unpleasantly surprised. "No, you . . ." She trails off, unable to put her thoughts into words. She wants so much to apologize once more for her contribution to the team falling apart. She can't help but think that if she never went with Sasuke—if she'd just been a little bit stronger and self-assured—everything wouldn't be such a mess. Her eyes turn to Sasuke, finding that he doesn't seem remorseful in the least.

Kakashi's eyes land on him, too. "Sasuke, I hate having to repeat myself, but I'll say this one last time." Sasuke doesn't visibly react, and Kakashi continues, "Stop your obsession with revenge!"

Abruptly, Sasuke throws back his head and descends into voracious, mad cackling, as though he thinks Kakashi's entreaty ridiculous. Sakura and Kakashi both startle at the display of their unhinged former teammate. Just as suddenly as his manic hilarity had appeared, it vanishes. He draws in a slow, deceptively calm breath. "Bring back Itachi, and my mother, and my father, and my clan! Bring them all back! Then I'll stop!" He gets angrier and angrier the longer he speaks. "And you," he shouts, pointing at Sakura. "I have a bone to pick with you! You were just gonna kill me after everything I've done for you," he spits, throwing her words back in her face. "If I hadn't brought you along, you'd still be just as helpless and pathetic as you were three years ago, you fucking traitor!"

Sakura steels herself so as to not let his words sink too deep into her skin. He doesn't mean it. He's just lost his mind. _And that's not my fault,_ she assures herself. With everything that's befell him, it's entirely unsurprising that it's come to this.

Having observed quietly, Kakashi interjects. "I don't want to kill you."

Psychotic countenance still intact, Sasuke snarls, "Oh, you think you can just take me out whenever you want, huh? Don't act like you're still my teacher. That time's over!" He lurches forward with intention. "I want to kill you so badly I can taste it."

Sakura looks away, brow twinged with unease. It was one thing to listen to him talk about destroying Konoha when it was just Team Taka, but to hear him threaten Kakashi like this is utterly distressing.

Without taking his eyes off Sasuke, Kakashi addresses Sakura, "Take this girl and get her stabilized to the point she can talk. There's still time. She should know a lot of information about our . . . enemy." From his pause, Sakura can tell he is hesitant to refer to Sasuke as the enemy. Notwithstanding the current circumstances, the young Uchiha was one of his precious students.

"And you, sensei," she asks, worried that if she leaves she won't see one of both of them ever again.

"Sakura," he says, voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "Take that girl and get out of here." He turns his head to shoot her a reassuring smile. "I will see this through with the same determination and resolve as you. That's my job, after all!" Her lips turn down in an anxious frown, nonplussed by the way he speaks of killing Sasuke as though it's some sort of simple task, like delivering a scroll. "Now, get going, Sakura."

Biting the inside of her cheek, she does as he says, throwing Karin over one of her shoulders and makes a run for it. Sasuke watches her leave, visibly unaffected.

She runs as carefully as she can until she reaches a large pillar on top of the bridge that hangs above the gorge. Mindfully, she lays Karin on the ground and begins healing the wound on her scarred chest. From what she can tell, the puncture—sizable as it is—was caused by Sasuke's Chidori Eisō. She can only imagine why he'd shot Karin at such an odd angle.

"Y-You're—" Karin starts, voice unsteady and distorted as blood gurgles in her throat.

"Don't talk yet," Sakura shouts, pushing more chakra into Karin's chest. "I'm almost done." As she observes the wound sewing itself together, her eyes stray to Karin's face. It is only in watching a tear trail down the side of the Uzumaki's face that she realizes she herself is crying, too. Salty tears stream down her cheeks, and snot dribbles from her nose. She grits her teeth to keep from sobbing.

Suddenly, Sakura's stomach plummets as she feels Sasuke's chakra flare enormously from far away. He must have activated some high-level jutsu. _I hope Kakashi-sensei is okay._

"His chakra's colder than ever," Karin wheezes, having also felt his chakra flare. "Sasuke's not the person we used to know."

Adrenalin flares throughout Sakura. She removes her hands from Karin's chest and stands swiftly. She needs to go assist Kakashi. The jounin can usually hold his own, but one can never get too much help.

Karin sits up and pulls her shirt back together as Sakura jumps onto the wall beside her. "Where are you going?"

Sakura doesn't answer as she jumps to the opposite wall and drops below. She channels chakra into her feet so that she can dash across the underside of the bridge. Beneath her, Sasuke and Kakashi continue to duke it out. When Kakashi notices her, he dashes forward with urgency. Determined, she presses onward. _I won't let you carry the burden, Kakashi-sensei!_

Yet as she jumps from above to land on the water directly behind Sasuke, her mind forces her to look back over all the years she's known him. The day they started at the Academy, the day they were assigned to Team Seven, their first mission, the day they left Konoha.

The day she swore to herself that she would be the one to end him. That she wouldn't burden Naruto with it.

Kunai extended, her hand halts in its progression. Close as she's come, she just can't kill Sasuke. _I thought I could do this,_ she thinks regretfully, tears streaming down her face once more.

Eyes ablaze, Sasuke whips around when he notices her presence at his back. Fast as lightning, he has his hand at her neck, gripping tightly. He steals the kunai from her hand. His wide eyes appear unseeing, as though he's worked himself into a stupor.

In the distance, Kakashi cries, "Don't do it, Sasuke!"

Choking, Sakura watches as the poisoned blade nears the delicate skin of her throat, but the contact never comes. An unexpected weight hits her in the side, and she's lifted away from the boy for whom she'd once risked everything. Looking up, she's greeted by the sight of her savior. "Naruto," she whispers, voice hoarse from the strangling she'd just received.

As Naruto sets her down, Sakura can't believe her luck. She had to be saved _twice_ by both of her teammates within less than half an hour. No wonder everyone thinks of her as weak. Nonetheless, she thanks Naruto for showing up in the nick of time. Better to be protected than dead, she supposes.

"Sasuke," Naruto calls. "Sakura-chan is a part of Team Seven, just like us." Simply too morose, Sakura doesn't let her heart warm at the blond's sentiment.

"In case you forgot," Sasuke sneers. "I'm _ex-_ Team Seven." His eyes drop to meet Sakura's. "And so is 'Sakura-chan,' really. Why don't you two leave us to our business?" He levels her with an intimidating stare, but she doesn't feel any fear. Possibly because he's already tried to kill her twice. _Shit gets old._

Kakashi steps in front of Naruto, likely having heard enough. "Is that enough proof, Naruto? Sasuke's not the same person anymore." He faces Sasuke, who stands around twenty feet away, with renewed fortitude.

Unrelenting, Naruto ignores the older man. "Sasuke . . ."

"What," Sasuke snaps.

Not one to be deterred by Sasuke's brash temperament, Naruto exclaims, "Sakura-chan told us the truth about Itachi! Everything you've done—I understand why you did it!" Everyone's eyes snap to Naruto, stunned by his statement. Even Sakura, having been there when Sasuke discovered the truth, having held him in her arms for several consecutive nights as he wept for the brother he'd spent so many years hating—the brother he'd _killed—_ even she cannot understand why he's so intent on killing everyone he has left, too.

"Naruto," Sasuke seethes, narrowing his onyx eyes. "I told you once before, you never had parents or siblings. You never had _anyone."_ His angry scowl morphs into a furious glower. "So, shut up, you outsider!"

Finally having breached her limit, Sakura pins Sasuke with a glare and brashly steps forward. "Naruto's had faith in you, Sasuke-kun! No matter how badly the world or _I_ slandered you, he still considered you a friend!" Calming down a little, her eyes slide to Naruto. "He still does."

Sasuke's upper lip curls and his nose scrunches up in displeasure, but he elects to ignore her, changing the subject. "Just moments ago, I finally got revenge for Itachi on one of his betrayers. One of the Leaf's top brass, Danzo." Sakura and Kakashi recoil in shock, but Sasuke disregards them. "It was a high unlike anything I've ever felt. Like I was finally cleansing the Uchiha name of the stigma that's dogged it for all these years. Like I was freeing the Uchiha from being associated with this corrupt shinobi world. In a sense, it's what the Leaf's always wanted. After rejecting my clan for generations, I'm finally going to wipe it from your memories." Madness seeping back into his eyes, he screams, "By killing every last one of you, until the Leaf is crushed forever! Any link to the Uchiha will be severed and our name will be purified! _That_ is how I'll revive my clan!"

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura sighs, almost resigned. She's heard this all before from him, but it's never been directed at her. His conviction and rage has only grown with time and her desertion.

Naruto makes himself two clones in preparation for the inevitable continuation of the fight, but Kakashi holds a hand out in front of him. "This is my job," the older man declares. "You two, get out of here!"

Sakura objects, "Kakashi-sensei—"

"I don't want you to have to see this. Get out of here _now,"_ he orders. From across the pond, Sasuke steps forward and ignites his chidori once more. Kakashi doesn't falter, his stance rigid with tenacity.

 _He really is going to do this alone,_ Sakura thinks mournfully.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you . . ." Naruto starts, surmising the same thing as Sakura from their sensei's disposition. "Are you going to kill Sasuke?" Once again, Kakashi tells them to leave.

Naruto's lip curls in affliction. He advances, rasengan in his right hand. One of his clones takes hold of Kakashi from behind, hindering their mentor's movement.

"You've left him vulnerable," Sasuke proclaims, surging forward, as well. "I won't hesitate for a second!"

Sakura and Kakashi both call out for Naruto to stop, but on the boy presses. He and Sasuke near each other with dangerous momentum. Neither of them slow down in the least, apparently uncaring that they're likely about to blow off their arms. Soon enough, they're colliding, and the small lake bursts into an eruption of warm water. Their impact generates heavy waves, pulling Sakura, Kakashi and Naruto's clones backward. From the focal point of the blast, the boys come flying out. Naruto crashes into Kakashi, while Sasuke is caught by Zetsu before he hits the wall of the ravine.

Standing again, Naruto most ominously states, "Now, I'm certain," eyes fixed on his former best friends form at the other end of the cavern.

Sakura gives him an odd glance, as does Kakashi. "Certain of what," he barks, brow furrowed and ever-growing stress evident on the visible sliver of his face. "What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto ignores him, keeping his angry gaze on Sasuke.

Sakura follows his line of sight as watches as the air next to Sasuke swirls and contorts in an all too familiar fashion. Madara materializes from the void.

 _Oh, no._

"Hi, Sakura-chan," the masked Uchiha calls with a wave and the usual annoying veneer that accompanies his voice. "You wanna come back to us? I promise not to punish you too harshly!" She responds his a simple sneer and flip of the bird. Madara shrugs and turns to his companions, exchanging a few words too quiet for the Konoha shinobi to hear. For a moment, Zetsu duplicates himself in the water, but he quickly retracts his clones after another couple of directions from Madara.

Glancing over at Kakashi, she finds him with his sharingan activated, analyzing the situation and likely trying to determine the best plan of attack. Ultimately, he must decide that now is not the optimal time for a fight because he turns to Naruto, urging him to retreat.

"I know, but there's something I need to say to Sasuke," the younger man responds. The boys' eyes connect, and Naruto calls, "Sasuke, do you remember what you told me back in the Valley of the End? About top-class ninjas?" Sasuke must follow his line of thinking because his face contorts in fury. Naruto steps out again, and Sakura almost rolls her eyes despite the serious atmosphere. _Why can't he just stay near us where it's_ objectively _safer?_ He continues, "One direct clash later, I understand a lot more. We've become top-class ninjas, Sasuke. Both of us."

Sakura scrunches up her nose, miffed at being left out. She supposes it's true, though. She's not at their level, and probably never will be. While they were being trained by legendary Sannins, she was learning a couple tricks from a twisted medical ninja.

Naruto fold his arm over his chest and closes his eyes. "So, tell me, did you see what was in my heart? How I really feel? Did you see what'll happen if we fight again?" He opens his eyes and smiles. "We're both gonna die." Sasuke doesn't react, but everyone else starts, uneasy at his certainty. "Our battle will be inevitable if you really do attack the Leaf. So, keep your hatred, let it fester, and hit me with its full force! I'm the only one who can bear the full brunt of your hate! It's my job, no one else's! I'll bear the burden of your hatred, and we'll die together."

Sakura's nose scrunches up again, once more put out by Naruto's words. She knows he doesn't mean to detract from her, but the sentiment behind his feelings stings nonetheless. All for naught, she'd spent so many years trying to be the one to bear the brunt of Sasuke's hatred. Clearly, her efforts had all been in vain. Naruto really is the only one that can match Sasuke.

"What," Sasuke shouts, flabbergasted. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why do you care about me so much?"

"Because I'm your friend," Naruto answers, smiling serenely. "Sasuke, we'll never be able to understand each other from words alone. I knew that from the moment I met you. The only way you and I can communicate properly is through our fists! Remember what I said: we're both top-class ninjas now." He holds out a clenched hand, as though to ask for a fist bump. "I haven't given up yet!"

 _Oh, Naruto,_ Sakura thinks, wishing her friend would just give up on Sasuke like she did. He's very much a lost cause.

"Still," Naruto proceeds, shrugging and smiling cheekily. "I'm done ranting at you. Hell, I can barely string a sentence together. I shouldn't be lecturing anyone!" He scratches the top of his head, snickering. "If we really do take this all the way to the end and both die, we won't be Uchiha, jinchuurikis, or anything. There'll be no more burdens to bear. We'll come to understand one another in the next world!"

 _Naruto, you're—_

"I will never change," Sasuke cries, breaking Sakura from her thoughts. "I don't want us to understand one another, and I'm not gonna die. _You_ will."

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi says, very much ignoring Sasuke. "I'll handle Sasuke. You still have the dream of becoming Hokage." Eyes weary, he glances at Sakura for a second before telling Naruto, "Sasuke may have fallen, but don't let him drag you down, too—"

Angry, Naruto scoffs, "How can I call myself Hokage if I can't even save one friend?" A wild look in his eyes, he declares, "The only person Sasuke's fighting is me!"

Sakura and Kakashi both shake their heads, but Sasuke laughs. "Have it your way. I'll kill you first."

"Heh," Naruto jeers. "You still haven't accepted me as your equal."

 _Naruto's really made up his mind. His resolve now is nothing compared to mine,_ she laments, wiping away a few stray tears. _Too bad he hasn't realized acknowledging others isn't Sasuke's thing._

"Okay, Sasuke is all yours, Naruto," Kakashi sighs, shifting almost imperceptibly on the water's surface. Swiftly, his left eye opens, kamui spinning within the fringe of his irises. Evidently, he means to take out Madara before this goes any further.

Madara holds up a hand. "Don't bother, Kakashi. Techniques like that have no effect on me." For whatever reason, Kakashi takes Madara's word for and stands down. The Uchiha nods. "Let's go, Sasuke."

Sasuke, Madara and Zetsu disappear. The three remaining nin share knowing glances.

The war has begun.


End file.
